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Bill Edmands

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Holli and Moses Thompson among the vines at their Maizemoor Vineyards.

A great grape crop in hunt country for private vintners.

By Vicky Moon

Holli and Moses Thompson among the vines at their Maizemoor Vineyards.

GRAPE NUTS

As the summer slowly slipped away, the grapes in area arbors were positively, perfectly ripe. The drought had been a double-edged sword for area agriculture aficionados. While the farmers were doing rain dances for taller corn, the vintners were jumping for joy.

“It’s a very intense time of year,” said John Todhunter, who owns Three Fox vineyards along with his wife, Holli Todhunter. As harvest time draws near, a deluge of rain could cause the grapes to swell with water, diluting the sugar content or possibly popping their delicate skins open – all of which makes the difference between a good year and disaster. The long hot dry summer was an advantage for grape production. “You only have a small window of opportunity to create a wine with character.”

Holli, John and others with small, countryside vineyards celebrate the end of the growing season in different ways. Fifty members of the Three Fox Vineyards’ Vintners Circle, whose membership entitles them to discounts and harvesting privileges, gathered with harvest shears in hand.